Scott Frost stands outside of the Hatfield-Dowlin complex, eyes aimed at the ground as he softly talks about his camaraderie with his players. As he speaks, wide receiver Chance Allen approaches. Allen’s bright smile complements his pink sweatshirt. Frost turns and looks at the redshirt freshman with a slight grin.

“Nice pink shirt,” Frost quips. “It suits you.”

Allen gives his coach a firm hug and says “How are you doing?” then walks away, laughing Frost’s comment off.

“Chance is probably the worst-dressed guy on our team,” Frost said, with Allen still close enough to hear.

“What?!” Allen yells.

Allen doesn’t have a comeback for Frost at that moment, but he will a couple of weeks later.

“My response is, ‘get some eyebrows,’” Allen said.

Frost’s eyebrows are famous among the Oregon receivers. His blonde hair so closely matches his light skin tone that it looks like he has no eyebrows, at least to some of the receivers. It’s one of the many things they’ll joke about with their coach.

“It’s a sad and angry state of a human being when they can’t laugh at themselves,” Frost said. “I think it’s important to keep a little levity.”

The 38-year-old from Wood River, Neb., might be in his first year as Oregon’s offensive coordinator (he also coaches quarterbacks), but neither he nor his players or fellow coaches sense much of a difference in his attitude. He says that he’s busier and a bit more nervous than when he was coaching Oregon’s receivers from 2009-2012, but the players say he’s still the same person.

Sophomore receiver Bralon Addison says Frost will give just as much off-field attention to defensive players as offensive ones, asking them how their families are doing, how they’re performing in school, etc.

“I think if you’re in coaching for a lot of reasons other than to help young men then you’re missing the mark,” Frost said.

Allen went to Frost’s house for Thanksgiving dinner last year. He met Frost’s father, Larry, and his mother, Carol, who cooked that night.

“I like them a lot,” Allen said of Frost’s parents. “Real genuine people.”

Allen is from Missouri City, Texas and wasn’t able to make the long trip home last November, so having a family atmosphere at Frost’s house in his first year at Oregon was an invaluable experience.

“He (Frost) comes from a wonderful family,” Allen said. “That’s what he gave to me when I came here, the family environment, and that’s what really drove me to come to Oregon.”

———

Larry and Carol Frost sit in their Lincoln, Neb., home on a Monday afternoon. Larry, the head football coach at Parkview Christian High School, is still upset over his team’s playoff loss the previous Thursday. Scott’s 12-year-old chocolate Labrador, Bogey, has lived with Larry and Carol for years now, and is currently barking up a storm.

“Cut it out, will ya?” Larry says sternly.

Scott’s parents don’t want any interruptions as they talk about their son.

“Wherever we went, he was able to fit in almost instantly and make friends,” Carol said of Scott.

The Frosts moved all over the place when Scott was a child, but Carol said it didn’t matter where they lived. Scott still found it incredibly easy to develop relationships, something Carol attributes to his leadership abilities both athletically and academically.

Scott decided to play at Stanford after high school, and the school seemed like a perfect fit to him at the time. The Cardinal had a pass-happy offense and a legendary head coach in Bill Walsh. But Scott says he never fit in.

“I didn’t like Stanford,” Scott said. “I’m a conservative Midwest boy and I fit better in a place like that.”

Larry says Palo Alto, Calif., was an awkward fit, culturally, but football played just as big of a role in Scott’s unhappiness.

“They didn’t win any games,” Larry said.

The Cardinal had a combined 7-14-1 record in Scott’s first two years. Plus, he wasn’t happy with his role on the team, so he transferred to his home state of Nebraska to play for the Cornhuskers.

Scott’s head coach at Nebraska was Tom Osborne, who both Frost and his parents say was probably the best coach he ever played for. In fact, when Scott talks about his best mentors growing up, he doesn’t mention Walsh or the legendary coaches he played for in the NFL (a list that includes Super Bowl winners Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick). He brings up his parents and Osborne.

“He set an example every day for how any man should want to be,” Scott said of Osborne.

Osborne says he still talks with Scott about once a month. Most of their conversations, understandably, revolve around football.

“I’ll probably call him this week and wish him well against Stanford,” Osborne said. “I know it’s a big game for him.”

Osborne, like Scott now, didn’t yell much as a coach, especially not at Scott. The fact that Scott played quarterback was a big reason and it’s why Osborne believes Frost has become such a successful coach.

“(A quarterback’s) already got an awful lot on his mind,” Osborne said. “Sometimes guys who haven’t been there and haven’t played the position don’t do a very good job of handling quarterbacks.”

Scott and his parents believe playing under coaches like Osborne helped him rise through the coaching ranks as much as playing quarterback did.

“I think he has taken the attributes that they (Scott’s coaches) had and how they handled athletes and taken the best from those guys and tried to apply it to his own coaching,” Carol said.

To Scott, the attribute from those coaches he probably values the most is the relationship building. His players say he’s still the same caring person, even though he has a high-profile position for the third-ranked team in the country. Scott recognizes how hard it can be for a football coach to maintain that type of attitude, and he tries his best to fight through the pressure.

“You can get so focused on work and trying to win games that you forget what I think is most important and that’s helping these guys grow and become the type of men that they need to become,” Scott said.

That’s why Scott takes some time, even if it’s just for a second, to see how his players are doing. To show he cares about them.

———

On that Thursday morning by the Hatfield-Dowlin complex, minutes after Allen and his pink sweatshirt have departed, Scott gushes about the selflessness of his players.

“Our kids are so committed to (the) team and each other that we’re not worried about the stats or anything else — See ya, buddy,” Frost says to receiver Josh Huff, who walks by Frost to his right.

“Alright, coach,” Huff replies.

Sophomore running back Byron Marshall walks by at the same time, to Frost’s left.

“See ya, Byron,” Frost said.

“See ya later, coach,” Marshall said.

Frost goes right back to his previous thought, continuing to praise the mindset of his players.

“It’s just wins and losses and trying to do what’s best for the team,” he said.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

Oregon men’s basketball players Dominic Artis and Ben Carter have officially been suspended for the first nine games of the season, the University of Oregon announced Thursday morning.

The suspension for Dominic Artis & Ben Carter will be the first 9 games of the season.

— Oregon Basketball (@OregonMBB) November 7, 2013

The two sophomores were suspended on Tuesday after an internal investigation discovered they sold team gear, which is a violation of NCAA rules. Both players expressed regret for their actions in a Tuesday press release.

Due to their suspensions, Artis and Carter did not travel with the team to South Korea, where the 19th-ranked Ducks will play Georgetown on Friday.

“They can’t travel to road contests during suspension, but can participate in all other team activities,” UO Assistant Athletic Director Andy McNamara wrote in an email to the Emerald.

The two will be eligible to return to game action on Dec. 17 against UC Irvine in Eugene.

Artis, a guard from San Francisco, averaged 8.5 points and 3.2 assists in 23.8 minutes per game last season. Carter, a forward from Las Vegas, averaged 2.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per game.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

Every week during football season, our sports staff will discuss different topics surrounding an upcoming game. Today, sports reporters Ryan Kostecka, Hayden Kim and Joseph Hoyt discuss Thursday’s matchup between Oregon and Stanford.

1) What is the key for each team to win?

Ryan Kostecka — For Stanford, it’s simple: Keep Oregon’s offense off the field. They need to get themselves in third down-and-short situations and convert them at a high rate. As for the Ducks, they need to stay composed. Stanford’s defense will make plays, but it’s how they respond to that adversity that will decide their outcome.

Hayden Kim — Last year the Cardinal upset the Ducks on a game-winning field goal that still resonates in every Oregon fan’s heart. This year will hold a similar matchup, and it will likely come down to a few plays here and there. For that reason, the turnover margin will be the key to this game. Marcus Mariota has yet to throw one interception this season, but he will be facing a Cardinal team that has recorded a turnover in 33 consecutive games. It will be interesting to see how this game turns out.

Joseph Hoyt — Marcus Mariota has one blemish on his nearly flawless track record — a single loss. That loss came courtesy of Stanford last year. Mariota needs to have the game of his career against a tough Stanford defensive front. On the contrary, the Cardinal need to keep Mariota and the Oregon offense guessing. They’re without starting defensive end Ben Gardner for the remainder of the season, so the rest of the defense needs to step up to upset Oregon for a second year in a row.

2) Who is the most important player for each team?

Ryan Kostecka — For Stanford it’s going to be Devon Cajuste. The Cardinal’s No. 2 wide receiver is going to have make big plays with Ty Montgomery being manned up with Terrence Mitchell and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu all night. Big plays by Cajuste opens up the running game for Tyler Gaffney. Oregon’s victory is going to rely on its center Hroniss Grasu. It’s going to be up to him to make sure the offensive line is on the same page and in the right schemes to stop Trent Murphy and Co.

Hayden Kim — Tyler Gaffney will be one of the few deciding factors in this game. While quarterback Kevin Hogan has been struggling in the statistical category this year, the real difference for Stanford will be based on the performance of Gaffney. If Gaffney can string a game together resembling his past few games, it will be a long day for both teams.

Joseph Hoyt — Avery Patterson has been a force and a tone-setter for the Oregon defense all year long. His ability to be an integral factor in the run game while also being a playmaker in the secondary has allowed Oregon flexibility in the way it attacks different offensive fronts. It doesn’t get any different than Stanford this week. They want to run the ball successfully until they go to play action over the top. Patterson needs to continue his dynamic play-making ability in this week’s game for the Oregon defense to be successful.

3) Who leads the game in rushing?

Ryan Kostecka — Stanford’s Tyler Gaffney will lead the game in rushing, finishing with 115-130 yards on around 25 carries. Oregon will rush for more yards as a team, led by Byron Marshall with 105-115 yards and Marcus Mariota with 75-90 yards.

Hayden Kim — Oregon’s Byron Marshall will be the leading rusher in this game. This will be more dependant on the Oregon defense, but Marshall has been consistently boasting numbers ranging the century mark, so on that note, Marshall will finish with 110 yards on 20 carries.

Joseph Hoyt — Byron Marshall is in the zone right now. He has the vision, speed and the size to fill the role of do-it-all back in the Oregon offense. He’s consistently gotten better every week, and in a game where Oregon needs to run the ball to match the physicality of Stanford’s defense, he’ll be counted on to shoulder the load.

4) Will Oregon jump Florida State in the BCS standings with a win and stay there the rest of the year?

Ryan Kostecka — Based on strength of schedule and strength of conference, Oregon will jump Florida State and stay there the rest of the year if they win out. FSU doesn’t have the schedule to jump Oregon until the ACC Championship game. The only problem is Oregon will play a top-25 team in its conference game.

Hayden Kim — With a win, the Ducks will jump FSU in the BCS standings. But in regards to remaining at the No. 2 spot, it will totally depend on the performance of both conferences. If the Pac-12 continues to shoot themselves in the foot, FSU will have the best chance to overtake Oregon in the standings despite playing in a lesser conference.

Joseph Hoyt — Most definitely. The one thing that Oregon has lacked in its undefeated start is a premier win over a top team. A victory on the road against Stanford would fit the bill perfectly. Unfortunately, it appears if Oregon and Florida State win out, one of those teams won’t have a chance to play in the national championship game. Maybe the NCAA could implement a playoff system a year early.

5) Who wins and what’s the score?

Ryan Kostecka — This is a tough one, not in the matter of who wins but what’s the score. I believe that Oregon is the best team in the country based on its overall skill level and will prove it with a statement win against Stanford. The Ducks start fast, hold off a mini-Stanford comeback and fly high in the end. Oregon wins 41-20.

Hayden Kim — Last year’s game had a game margin of three. This year will finish with two-touchdown difference and it will come from the helms of Marcus Mariota and De’Anthony Thomas. Oregon has the physicality to match up with the Cardinal defense this year and for that, the Ducks will break the 1-1 tie with Stanford since 2011. Oregon 41, Stanford 27.

Joseph Hoyt — Many, De’Anthony Thomas included, believe that Oregon will score in bunches against Stanford. While Oregon has managed to do that with ease the entire season, I believe the Ducks will run into trouble for the second year in a row. Stanford is stacked defensively and is very similar to the defense that held Oregon to 14 points last year. I think this one comes down to the wire. The key is how Byron Marshall and Marcus Mariota will operate against arguably the toughest defense they’ll face all season. Final score: Oregon 21, Stanford 20.

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka
Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim
Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @jhoyt42

The Oregon men’s golf team finished in last place at the 10-team Gifford Collegiate, and they literally have to wait four months before returning to tournament action.

The Ducks actually shot their best round of the tournament on Tuesday at Pelican Hill Resort with a 7-over par 287. Unfortunately for Oregon, that score was second-worst among the 10 teams in the third and final round, so the Ducks weren’t able to improve on their tied for ninth position after the first two rounds on Monday.

Leading the Ducks was sophomore Sulman Raza, who followed up a dreadful opening round 79 (+9) with a 69 (-1) in the second round and a 68 (-2) in the third. He finished tied for 25th among the 56 golfers competing in the Newport Beach, Calif. tournament.

“I thought Sulman played wonderfully after a horrible start,”  head coach Casey Martin told GoDucks.com after the final round. “He really battled back which was great to see.”

Behind Raza was freshman Thomas Lim, who bounced back from an inconsistent Monday with an even-par 70 on Tuesday. Lim shot 72 (+2) and 78 (+8) in rounds one and two, respectively. He finished tied for 36th overall.

Sophomore Brandon McIver had a similar tournament to Lim’s, albeit a couple strokes worse. McIver shot a 72 on Tuesday, which, like Raza and Lim, was his best round of the tournament. He shot a 73 (+3) in round one and a 77 (+7) in round two, finishing alone in 40th place.

Freshman Brandon Baumgarten sandwiched one good round between two bad ones. After shooting a 78 in round one, Baumgarten rebounded with a 70 in round two. He regressed in the final round, though, shooting a 77 that left him tied for 47th overall.

The fifth and final Oregon competitor, sophomore Zach Foushee, led the Ducks in scoring going into Monday, but shot the worst Oregon round of the tournament on Tuesday with a 14-over 84. The score dropped him twice as many overall spots from round two to round three. He started the day tied for 25th but finished tied for 50th.

The Ducks’ next tournament doesn’t come until Feb. 5, 2014 when they travel to Waikoloa, Hawaii to play in the Amer Ari Invitational.

Here are the final standings of from the Gifford Collegiate, which was hosted by UCLA:

1. Alabama — 275-276-285 — 836 (-4)
2. Southern California — 283-277-279 — 839 (-1)
3. SMU — 277-283-282 — 842 (+2)
4. Washington — 277-284-284 — 845 (+5)
5. Northwestern — 279, 275-294 — 848 (+8)
6. UCLA — 285-279-288 — 852 (+12)
7. Lamar — 286-285-286 — 257 (+17)
8. Coastal Carolina — 295-285-286 — 866 (+26)
9. Tennessee — 298-284-285 — 867 (+27)
10. Oregon — 294-288-287 — 869 (+29)

A mix of returning players and transfers warmed up for practice at Matthew Knight Area on Oct. 24, shooting, laughing, even singing. Among the group was transfer guard Joseph Young. But unlike every other player on the tree-designed floor, Young wasn’t eligible to play for the Ducks. The redshirt junior wasn’t the only one who appeared to be annoyed by this fact.

“Hopefully, he gets eligible,” redshirt senior Mike Moser, one of Oregon’s eight transfer players, said before that Thursday’s practice. “He’ll definitely be that factor for us.”

Senior guard Johnathan Loyd said he’d constantly pester Young, wondering when the Houston transfer would get his waiver cleared by the NCAA.

“I ask him every day, ‘What’s the word?’” Loyd said. “He’s like, ‘Tomorrow, tomorrow.’ I’m getting a little anxious because that’s a big piece. He’ll really help.”

Young wasn’t lying, at least not on that Thursday. The next day, Young was cleared to play immediately. 

Young hasn’t just appeared in both of Oregon’s exhibition games — he’s been one of the Ducks’ best players, scoring more than 20 points and playing aggressive defense in both contests. He might be his harshest critic, as well.

“I’ve still got a lot of work to do,” Young said after the Northwest Christian game on Sunday, Oct. 27. “I’m trying to get better on defense, staying in front of my man. Tonight, it was just a game to see where we were at and we’ve got work to do.”

Now, he’ll be able to do all of that work without the threat of ineligibility looming over the Ducks like the November Eugene sky. He’ll be able to showcase his offensive ability that has left fans, media and teammates in awe.

“Joe’s great,” Moser said. “Offensively, he’s a handful. Nobody wants to guard him. Nobody can guard him.”

Moser added that Young isn’t just a dynamic player on one side of the court.

“You always run into those guys who can score and don’t play much defense,” Moser said. “He’s the exact opposite. He can score great and lock guys up on the other end.”

Head coach Dana Altman echoed Moser’s comments, saying Young’s a great shooter who handles the ball well. Altman did say that Young could improve in several areas, including defense, even though Young has averaged three steals per game.

“I like the direction he’s headed,” Altman said after their second exhibition game against Point Loma on Nov. 2. “But defensively and on the boards, he, like a lot of his teammates, we really have to make some progress there.”

While Altman is critical of Young, he said he’s extremely happy to have the Houston native on his team and eligible. Off the court, Altman said Young’s been an easy player to work with.

Moser was more specific when describing Young’s personality.

“He’s the jokester,” Moser said. “He’s definitely going to be the smack-talker you’re going to see on the floor.”

Moser, Altman and Loyd had no idea when (or if) Young would be able to bring his humor and electric game to the court this season when talking about him that Thursday. Even Young wasn’t completely sure how the waiver situation would pan out.

“I wasn’t sure at first,” Young said, “but that didn’t stop me from working hard in practice every day.”

After Oct. 25, Young could run through the “woods” in Matthew Knight Arena both in practices and games. If his two exhibition games are any indicators, Young might help the No. 19 team in the nation make last year’s Sweet Sixteen appearance look like a disappointment.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

The first day of the Ducks’ last fall tournament did not go well. The Oregon men’s golf team finished tied for last place in the 10-team Gifford Collegiate on Monday and are 31 strokes off the lead.

The Ducks did improve from round one to round two, shooting a 14-over par 294 to start the day and an 8-over 288 to end it. However, their second round at Pelican Hill Resort was actually worse compared to the rest of the field. They finished the first round in seventh place, but their second-round 288 was actually the worst score in the second round, dropping them to a last-place tie with Tennessee.

The biggest issue for the Ducks on Monday at the Newport Beach, Calif., golf resort was consistency. All five Oregon golfers shot 73 (+3) or better in one of their two rounds, but other than Zach Foushee, they all had a round in the high 70s.

The sophomore Foushee led the Ducks with an overall score of 3-over, tying him for 25th among the 56 golfers in the tournament. He shot a 1-over 71 in the first round and followed it up with a 2-over 72.

Behind Foushee were sophomore Sulman Raza and Brandon Baumgarten, who are currently tied for 39th and had similar rounds on Monday.

Raza shot the worst Oregon round of the day in round one with a 9-over 79. Only three other golfers in the tournament matched that score or shot worse in either round. Raza bounced back nicely in round two, though, shooting 10 strokes better than round one and netting the Ducks’ only under-par round of the day.

Baumgarten shot a 8-over 78 in round one but he, like Raza, rebounded in round two, shooting an even-par 70.

Tied for 48th overall and last on the Ducks were sophomore Brandon McIver and freshman Thomas Lim.

McIver finished round one with a 3-over 73 but unlike Raza and Baumgarten, he regressed in the second round, shooting a 7-over 77.

Lim’s day was similar to McIver’s. The freshman shot a 72 in round one before struggling to a second-round 78.

Unfortunately for the Ducks, even sixth place looks out of reach as they head into their third and final round on Tuesday. They currently sit 18 strokes behind sixth-place UCLA.

The leader after two rounds is — fittingly — Alabama, who are the top-ranked team in the nation. The rest of the standings can be found here.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

In four days, No. 3 Oregon will play fifth-ranked Stanford in one of the most anticipated college football games of the season. Head coach Mark Helfrich talked after practice on Monday about the challenges Stanford poses for the Ducks and his team’s motivation to beat the Cardinal after losing to them last season.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

Last November against Stanford, Mark Helfrich looked out onto the field at Autzen Stadium with an unfamiliar feeling. The Ducks lost their only game all season, which was also the only loss Helfrich has seen since Nov. 19, 2011 against USC.

Now as Oregon’s head coach, Helfrich is preparing for his team’s second straight November game against the Cardinal, this time at Stanford Stadium. Like last year, Stanford is highly ranked, and the Ducks aren’t having an easy time preparing for them.

“Any time you’re trying to simulate someone else from a scout team perspective, that’s difficult,” Helfrich said following Sunday’s practice. “We don’t have anybody on our scout team defense that looks like anyone on their (Stanford’s) defense. We don’t have nine offensive linemen that can run down there and simulate their offensive line. You just don’t have those types of bodies lying around.”

Helfrich said that Stanford’s offensive is unique in its normality. The Cardinal offense is practically the opposite of Oregon’s up-tempo spread offense, eating up time on the play clock and often running the ball up the middle. That might make them seem ordinary, but with the booming popularity of spread offenses around the country, Helfrich said Stanford’s offense is hard to prepare for because the Ducks rarely see one like it.

“They’re absolutely different in our conference as far as an opponent to prep, in terms of your scout team and positions that you’re trying to match up from a personnel standpoint,” Helfrich said. “They are unique in this conference.”

Despite the challenges, Helfrich is confident the Ducks can handle this physical Stanford team. Oregon might not have the scout team to replicate Stanford’s actual team, but Helfrich said their preparation and schemes can make up for any other deficiencies.

“You kind of have to trust your approach, trust your scheme, the soundness of your scheme,” Helfrich said. “In every phase, it has to be tested in that regard.”

Looking back at last season’s Stanford game on Nov. 17, Helfrich said his team missed some opportunities off turnovers that easily could have changed the final result. But he said the biggest issues weren’t just a few plays. The Ducks simply didn’t play up to their then-No. 1 national ranking.

“They just didn’t have our best shot last year,” Helfrich said. “That’s something that when you look back on the film, especially from an offensive standpoint, we didn’t play very well.”

No one will know if the Ducks will give Stanford their best shot this coming Thursday, but with the rest during the bye week and all of their hard work, Helfrich is confident he’ll look on the field after this November game with a happier feeling.

“We’re preparing well and looking forward to playing our best next Thursday.”

Sometimes even a 16-point win leaves a team with a foul taste in its mouth. The Oregon men’s basketball team beat the Point Loma Sea Lions on Saturday by a comfortable score of 68-52, but without big performances from guard Joseph Young and center Waverly Austin, the Ducks might have lost to a team that went 5-21 in the Pacific West Conference last season.

“We played terrible,” senior guard Johnathan Loyd said after the game. “Defense wasn’t there, we didn’t execute on offense, we didn’t focus on the boards like he (head coach Dana Altman) wanted us to. All in all, that wasn’t a good showing for us.”

The first half at Matthew Knight Arena was especially bad for the Ducks, as they trailed 37-35 and easily could have been down by more. Point Loma shot 56 percent from the field, compared to 35.3 percent by the Ducks. While the offense didn’t deserve a gold star that half, the Ducks said their biggest issue was their sloppy, lackadaisical play on defense.

“Our defense didn’t have much communication, much pop to it,” Altman said of their first-half effort. “We just weren’t ready to play.”

Oregon was able to force eight turnovers while giving the ball away just four times in the half, but they couldn’t take advantage of those chances — Point Loma outscored the Ducks 4-3 in points off turnovers. The Ducks also grabbed 1o offensive rebounds and took 11 more shots than Point Loma that half, but so many of their chances came up empty.

One of the lone bright spots for the Ducks in the first half was Young. The redshirt junior transfer from Houston was all over the court, scoring 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, dishing out one assist, recording one steal and two rebounds that half. No other Duck scored more than five points in the first 20 minutes.

“I was just knocking down the shots that were open,” Young said.

The Ducks had plenty of positive takeaways from the first half, leading the rebound battle (on both ends) and turning the ball over half as many times as the Sea Lions. The poor shooting and sporadic defense directly contributed to their poor first half.

The second half instantly looked different. Sophomore forward Elgin Cook made a powerful block on the Sea Lions’ first possession then converted a layup on the offensive end just seconds later. Austin followed Cook’s lead, blocking a shot on the next play. On the Ducks’ next possession, Austin fought for an offensive rebound and converted the putback.

These four plays set the tone for the rest of the half.

“Our talking, defensively, did pick up in the second half,” Altman said. “I think that’s why we had a much better effort.”

After a solid first half in just eight minutes of playing time, Austin exploded in several areas during the second half. He scored 16 total points on 7-of-9 shooting, pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked two shots. Most of those points (12) and rebounds (9) came in the second half, too.

“Wave did great,” Loyd said. “I’ll take that from him every game. If he can do that, we’re going to be good inside.”

The Ducks did go through a lull on offense from about 14 to eight minutes left in the game, but their defense demolished the Sea Lions all half. The Ducks held Point Loma to 15 second-half points on 17.2 percent shooting, dropping their shooting percentage to 35.2 overall (the Ducks narrowly upped their percentage, finishing at 36.5 percent.)

Despite the second-half rampage, the Ducks were far from happy. With Georgetown coming up this coming Friday in South Korea, the Ducks know they can’t afford an effort like this and expect to win.

“We’ve got a big week of practice ahead of us,” Altman said.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415